3. Umphrey's McGee: Safety in Numbers (SCI Fidelity). A meticulously democratic mix shows off skilled playing in every corner of these compositions, but the overriding impression is of a band unified in musical delight.

5. Cracker: Greenland (Cooking Vinyl). Another crackerjack production from David Lowery and company, who manage to sound polished and coarse at the same time.

6. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals: Nothing but the Water (Ragged Company). Only hints at the band's live potential - but even in the studio, Ms. Potter's soulful blues-belting is colorful and rousing enough to perk up any listener's ears.

7. Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs: Under the Covers, Vol. 1 (Shout! Factory). These two well-matched, maturing rockers pull 15 nuggets out of the wayback machine and lovingly revisit them with an invigorated audio freshness.

8. Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris: All the Roadrunning (Warner Bros.). The perfect blend of two unique voices and Knopfler's gently fluid guitar makes for a lush, satisfying collection of laid-back tunes.

10. Dan Reeder: Sweetheart (Oh Boy). In these days of multichannel mixes and high-definition, there's something comforting about the old-fashioned sound of a wryly amusing guy on his acoustic guitar. Soothing in its simplicity.